佛教徒要守持的根本戒律

五戒是佛教徒最根本要守的戒律，就是不杀生，不偷盗，不邪淫，不妄语，不饮酒。

The five precepts are the most fundamental rules that Buddhists should follow. They are: not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying and not consuming intoxicants.

不杀生，你常常不杀生就得长寿报，寿命会长。为什么有的人寿命长？有的人寿命短？寿命长的人，因持不杀戒得长寿报；寿命短的人，因他欢喜杀生就得短命的果报。

If you receive the precept against killing and constantly refrain from killing, you will be rewarded with longevity. You will live a long life. Why is it that some people have long life spans while others have short life spans? Those who had upheld the precept against killing are rewarded with a long life, while people who liked to kill have the retribution of short lives.

为什么要持不偷戒？因为偷，是损坏人的财产福命。什么是偷盗？是偷偷的把别人的财产物质偷走了。你尽偷盗别人的东西，你得到什么果报呢？将来你就受财产不长久的果报。好像你本来很有钱，突然间被强盗抢去了。

Why should we observe the precept against stealing? It is because stealing causes others to lose their wealth. What is stealing? It is covertly taking away properties and materials belonging to others. What’s the retribution for stealing others’ things? The retribution will be that of not being able to hold one's own wealth long. For example, someone may be rich, and all of a sudden that person gets robbed.

淫、妄、酒，也都是这样子。就好像你不守淫戒，去奸淫别人的妇女，将来你自己的妻女也被人玩弄，这都是一种果报。

Sexual misconduct, lying, and taking intoxicants are similar. For instance, someone who does not observe the rule against sexual misconduct might have affairs with others’ women. In the future, that person's own wife or daughter will also be prostituted by others. Those are the kinds of retributions that will happen.

妄语，你自己要是不骗人，你就不会被人骗。

As to lying, if we don’t cheat people, we will not be cheated.

说“我这一生没有骗人，为什么很多人来骗我呢？”我方才不是说过，这种果报不是一生的事情，是有过去、现在、未来，果报是通三世的。你今生没有骗过人，你可知道你前生你骗过多少人吗？“我不知道。”你不知道？那有人骗过你，这是应该的。

Someone may complain, “I have never cheated anyone in my life. Why is it that many people cheated me?” Didn’t I just say that the matter of retribution is not limited to one lifetime? It spans three time periods: past, present, and future. You may not have cheated anyone in this life, but do you know how many people you had cheated in your previous life? “I don’t know.” You don’t know? So it may be fitting that people cheat you now.

本来不想说大话，因说大话，但是总是不假思索就打妄语。这个打妄语很快，不用思索，不用想一想要打什么妄语。譬如有人问你：“偷东西没有？你偷了没有？”就是偷了，你也会说：“我没有偷。”不用想就说没有偷。一个“偷”犯了一个戒，“打妄语”又犯了一个戒。

A person may not have intended to boast, but it's very easy to tell a lie without even realizing it. Telling lies can happen very fast. A lie comes out before we know it. For instance, someone may ask a person, “Have you stolen something?”The person may reply, “I didn’t” without even stopping to think even if he did. If in fact, the person stole, then, by denying it, he commits the offense of lying on top the offense of stealing.

酒饮少是没有什么问题，喝多了就会乱性，人就颠倒，所做的事也颠倒，所以佛教里戒酒。

A little wine doesn’t hurt. However, if people drink a lot they will become confused and do crazy things. That’s why drinking wine is prohibited in Buddhism.

这五戒说起来是有很多道理。主要的是我们手不去杀生，心里也不生杀念，这才是真正持“杀戒”。盗也是如此，手不去盗，心也不生盗念。“盗”，不论大小，凡是没有人许可你，你自己偷偷用了其他人的东西，这都叫犯盗戒。

If we were to elaborate, the five precepts encompass many principles. The main point is that when we make sure our hands do no killing, we must also be sure that our minds do not entertain any thoughts of killing. Then we are truly upholding the precept against killing. The same applies to the precept against stealing. When our hands are not stealing, our minds must also be free of thoughts of stealing. Regardless of the value of objects, if someone uses something or takes something stealthily without getting permission, then that is considered to be a violation of the precept against stealing.